How to store the vegetables you buy for a longer time? Tips for storing vegetables at home

We all know that the new coronavirus is a powerful new virus recently. It is highly contagious. In order to avoid infection and prevent the spread of the virus, it is generally best not to go out. Many places have implemented entry and exit control. So many people will stock up some vegetables at home, so how can the vegetables be preserved for a longer time? Let's take a closer look!

How to store vegetables for a longer time

1. Freezing vegetables can extend the storage time

Green leafy vegetables that take up more space can be picked, washed, blanched in boiling water for about 30 seconds to kill them, and then frozen. There is no need to worry about the loss of nutrients when thawing and cooking again. You can make up for it by eating more.

2. Buy some dried vegetables

For example, dried day lily, black fungus, white fungus, dried shiitake mushrooms, bean curd sticks, dried kelp, etc., they only need to be placed in a dry room temperature.

3. Make homemade vegetables with soybeans, mung beans, peanuts, etc.

Soak the soybeans in water overnight, drain the water the next day, and then put them in a container with a large flat bottom. Add a small amount of water (the water level should not exceed the soybeans), place it in a place with weak light, and change the water every day. After two days, the soybeans will turn into soybean sprouts. Sprouted soybeans become a fresh vegetable.

4. Cut the purchased meat into small pieces and freeze it

Fresh meat should be cut and packaged first, and then frozen to avoid thawing a large piece of meat multiple times. It is also more convenient to take out a portion each time you cook.

5. Buy some frozen vegetables

For example, already cut carrots, peas, corn kernels, etc. can be frozen directly when you get home, which is very convenient for cooking.

6. Using hydroponics to grow sprouted garlic

For garlic that has accidentally sprouted, you can string the garlic cloves together with a needle and thread for hydroponics, and when the garlic sprouts grow up, you can directly pick them off and eat them. You can also directly plant some garlic chives, which are very easy to survive.

How to preserve common ingredients

Vegetables

There are many kinds of vegetables: common green leafy vegetables are perishable, and it is recommended to eat some every day. It is not recommended to buy too much, and it is best to eat them within 3 days. Pumpkins, eggplants and other nightshades, radishes, potatoes, onions and other root vegetables can be stored for a long time, so you can stock up.

There are many kinds of vegetables, and their temperaments vary. Some need to be refrigerated, while others can be kept at room temperature. But this is the same: vegetables are still alive even without the soil.

The respiration of plants will consume nutrients all the time, causing vegetables to age and taste worse. So preservation is actually to use appropriate methods to make vegetables "dormant". For example, refrigerate, keep in a dark place (potatoes), dig out the core (lettuce, cabbage), cut off the leaves (white radish), etc.

Vegetable processing methods:

● Pre-treatment: For example, remove rotten leaves and remove the ropes

● It is best not to wash before refrigerating; if washed, dry it or wipe the surface moisture with kitchen paper

●Wrap in paper bags or fresh-keeping bags; ordinary plastic bags easily accumulate moisture (vegetables are always breathing), and are especially not suitable for fragile green leafy vegetables such as leeks.

●Wrap the roots with wet kitchen paper; etc.

Some vegetables are also suitable for freezing, such as beans, broccoli, bamboo shoots, tomatoes, onions, etc. Freezing them immediately while they are fresh can not only retain as much nutrition as possible, but also save cooking time. To make a stew with tomatoes and broccoli, you don't need to thaw them, just throw them in.

meat

Meat preservation is relatively simple, but it should not be taken lightly, as meat is a food that is very easy to breed microorganisms. Therefore, if you do not cook the meat immediately after buying it, put it in the refrigerator; if you use minced meat bought from the supermarket to make meatballs or meat patties, make sure it is thoroughly cooked.

If freezing, divide it into small portions according to the amount for each meal and freeze them separately; when handling, pay attention to hand hygiene and keep raw and cooked food separate to avoid cross contamination.

Other Foods

These foods can generally be stored at room temperature and do not need to be refrigerated; refrigeration will affect the appearance and taste, such as chocolate, bread, steamed buns, and honey.

It is not impossible to keep it in the refrigerator. Refrigeration will not affect the safety and nutritional value of honey. Chocolate will melt in hot weather, so it is better to put it in the refrigerator and eat it earlier.

However, if bread and steamed buns cannot be eaten within 3-5 days, it is recommended to freeze them. How long they can be kept at room temperature depends on the type of bread (such as water content) and the storage conditions (such as humidity), etc., and cannot be guaranteed. Generally speaking, the storage life of homemade bread and steamed buns at room temperature is shorter than that of commercial products, so they should be stored properly.

Canned food, room-temperature milk, sweet drinks, and condiments such as ketchup do not need to be refrigerated because they have been sterilized; but if they are not eaten immediately after opening, they must be placed in the refrigerator and eaten as soon as possible.

Oily condiments, such as peanut butter, sesame butter and other nut butters, sesame oil, olive oil, etc., can be stored in the refrigerator for a longer time without oxidation after opening;

Dried seafood such as dried shrimps absorb moisture and easily deteriorate at room temperature. If you want to store them for a long time, you can put them in the refrigerator.

Precautions for food storage

1. Vegetables with damaged surfaces are easily invaded by microorganisms and easily deteriorate in a short period of time. It is recommended that you eat them first. If you find moldy vegetables, you must throw them away and don't feel bad.

2. Do not store vegetables together with apples, bananas, and pears. These fruits will release a large amount of ethylene, which will accelerate the ripening of themselves and nearby vegetables, making the vegetables more difficult to preserve.

3. When buying vegetables, pack and store them separately in fresh-keeping bags or plastic wrap. This can keep the freshness of each vegetable and prevent cross-infection.

How often should I buy groceries during the epidemic?

From the perspective of ensuring that you have green leafy vegetables every day, it is best to buy vegetables every three days and buy enough for three days at a time. If this is not possible, at least buy them once a week.

Nowadays, the inconvenience of shopping and lack of supplies at home have made it more difficult to eat vegetables. Going to the supermarket every few days to stock up on vegetables has become a choice for many people.